


100 miles off

by flukedoctor



Series: Not that big a distance really [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky just wants to find Steve now, Canon Divergent, I'm not following a proper timeline, I've made Bruce a dick, im just making it up as I go, im sorry, no civil war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-03 10:17:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flukedoctor/pseuds/flukedoctor
Summary: Jason is tired, he just wants to sleep.But there's a hobo at his door yelling for someone called Steve.Because of course there is.





	1. First

Jason has had a long night. He busted three drug cartels, stopped two armed robberies and smashed in a couple of rapists heads and at this point all he wants to do is collapse into his bed at his nearest safe house and sleep.

Of course, because the universe is definitely out to get him at this point, there is someone banging on his apartment door when he finally stumbles up the stairs.

This person is yelling, a mix of English and, is that Russian? And Jason can definitely work out one word from the garbled mess falling from the stranger’s mouth.

_Steve_.

Who the fuck is Steve.

“Who the fuck are you?” Jason says, having had enough of this shit.

The stranger turns to him, the shitty light outside Jason’s door bouncing off the stranger’s face and Jason groans inwardly. If the greasy unkempt hair and raggedy dirty clothes are anything to go by, Jason has a hobo on his hands. Fucking typical.

The guy, Jason's guesses guy from the scraggly beard, narrows his eyes and cocks his head slightly.

“You're not Steve” he remarks and Jason can't stop the groan this time.

“No, I am not Steve, I do not know a Steve. I know a Roy, I know a Kori” _I know a Dick, I know a Bruce_ his mind supplies unhelpfully. “But no Steves. So if you could kindly” Jason jerks a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing for this guy to fuck off.

But the guy doesn't budge. Instead he looks Jason up and down, like he's sizing him up. Jason stands a little straighter in response, puffs his chest out a little too and reaches for his gun. He's not really in the mood for a fight but if this guy wants one, he'll deliver.

“S-Steve lives here” the guy insists. “I lived here too, with Steve”

Jason cocks an eyebrow at that. “And when exactly did you live here?” The guy looks away now, not meeting Jason’s eye.

“1942 I think” he mumbles and Jason does a double take.

“1942?! You do know it's 2015, right?”

“Yes I know” the man snaps. “But I lived here and you better tell me where the fuck Steve is” The man is taking angry steps forward but Jason isn't backing down.

“Listen here, _I_ live here, no _Steve_ lives here and I'm pretty sure there's never been a _Steve_ living here considering the building was only built last year” The man’s face crumbles in confusion and he leans against the wall.

“That can't be right, this is one six six Montague Street?” Jason grimaces, the reminder that he picked a safe house on a street named after one of the dumbest literary characters in history not welcomed.

“Yes” he grits out. “One six six Montague Street, Gotham City, Gotham, United States of America, residence of me, not Steve.”

“Gotham?” The guy snaps his head back up. “Is this not Brooklyn?” Jason barks out a laugh. It sounds kind of cruel but Jason is very tired and needs to sleep.

“Dude, Brooklyn is about a hundred miles that way” He points to the stairwell. “You're a bit off”

The guy groans and slides down the wall, still in the way of Jason’s door. Jason looks at the guy and considers just stepping over him and locking the door. It'd be the easier option and would probably motivate the guy to go find this Steve a lot quicker, however one look at his face and Jason knows he can't do that. He might murder criminals in cold blood but he knows  what it's like wandering around, no clue where he is and nowhere to go. Sure, this hobo like guy probably doesn't run the risk of being picked up by a squad of deadly assassins, but Jason still has a heart somewhere. He thinks.

“Do you want to come in?” He asks before he can change his mind. “Let me catch a few hours sleep and I'll give you a ride to the bus station, there's a bus that'll take you straight to Manhattan” The guy looks up at him wearily and gives him a once over again. He looks like he wants to say no but honestly he looks as exhausted as Jason feels and the guy reluctantly nods.

Jason leads him into the apartment, kicking some papers out the way and toeing his boots off. His Red Hood helmet is tucked under his arm and passes off easily enough as a motorcycle helmet so he throws it in the bedroom before the guy can get a closer look. “What's your name by the way?” Jason asks as the guy shuffles through the doorway.

His face creases in confusion again, as if he really has to think of the answer. “Bucky” he eventually lands on, not providing a last name.

“Alright, I'm Jason” Jason states, deciding if they're not doing last names he's safe enough. “You can take the couch, it doesn't look like much I know but the stains aren't anything bad and it is kind of comfy”

“Where are your family” Bucky asks suddenly.

“Don't have any” Jason shoots back just as quick. It's the truth, sort of. He doubts his ‘family’ want him around anyway after the way he's been running around breaking the golden rules. Bucky doesn't look impressed as he tentatively takes a seat on the couch.

“You're a bit young to be on your own, what are you, sixteen?”

“S-sixteen?” Jason chokes. “You think I'm _sixteen_?”

“What, are you younger?” Bucky doesn't even seem to be teasing, he cocks his head again and looks genuinely confused.

“What, no, I'm not younger! I'm eighteen for fuck sake!” Well, technically nineteen if they're counting the year he spent in the ground, but Jason doesn't feel like getting into that at the moment.

“Uh, alright” Bucky seems satisfied there but Jason is still fuming. _Sixteen_ , what the fuck.

“Where's your family then?” He spits out in rage even though he probably has a rough idea of the answer. Who cares though, he thought Jason was sixteen.

“Thought he was here” Bucky shrugs. “Was the only address I could remember” Jason feels the anger seep out there.

“Sorry” he says. “I'm, uh, I’m sure you'll find him” Bucky nods and takes off his jacket.

“If he even wants to see me again”

“You don't think he wants to see you?”

“I did almost kill him” Jason can't help but huff a laugh there.

“It may sound kinda weird, but I know exactly what you mean”

“You do?” Bucky raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, its complicated. Uh, why would you go back if you think he doesn't want to see you?”

“Got no one else” Bucky shrugs. “He's all I've ever had”

“Huh”

Jason isn't really sure how to respond, he sure as hell wouldn't do what Bucky's doing, right? It's dumb. Maybe this Steve guy is more accepting than Bruce, maybe he'll listen. Jason shakes his head, it doesn't matter anyway, not like he's ever going back himself.

“You need some new clothes?” He asks Bucky. “I got some spare, might be a tight on you considering I apparently look sixteen, but they'll fit?” Bucky gives him a calculating look, then lets a small smile spread across his face.

“Sure, that'd be great”

 

A couple hours later Jason wakes up to find that he has not been murdered by the man sleeping on his couch, which is always pleasant. He offers Bucky something to eat and a change of clothes before giving him a ride to the bus station on the back of his motorcycle.

“So you know what to do when you get to Manhattan, right?” Jason asks, handing Bucky his ticket (Jason might've bought it, who cares, it's whatever).

Bucky nodds gruffly, the motion disjointing the Batman baseball cap on his head (it wasn't Jason’s, no way).

“Thanks” he mumbles and gets on the bus. Jason shrugs his shoulders and turns to go but stops when he hears Bucky yell from the bus.

“You ever want to come to Brooklyn, you know where to find me” he yells, a little smile pulling on his lips. “Promise I won't try to kill you!” Jason just laughs as the bus pulls away and he starts to head home.

On his way, he passes the Wayne Enterprises building and stops to stare up at it. He could, maybe, drop in? Maybe?

Then there's a crash, then there's a scream and Jason has other things to worry about.


	2. Second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason is sad and angry and doesn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next part, thank you all so much for reading and for the kudos and comments !!

Jason doesn't know what to do. He really doesn't. It's not his fault, it can't be right? He didn't do it, no way, but why does he feel responsible? Why does he feel like he should've been there?

Bruce wasn't there for him, why should Jason have been there. But, they were getting somewhere and Bruce said he tried, he said he did and Jason was finding himself actually believing him?

But now, what the fuck. What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck. What was Jason supposed to do now?

So he jumps on his motorcycle and he drives. And drives and drives until the bright lights fade and the smoky air clears and he's greeted by different bright lights and a new kind of smoky air. He's thinking it's been about 100 miles but he doesn't stop, he keeps going and going until he's at a pier and there's lights that have long ago been turned off for the night and rides and coasters that shuddered to a final stop hours ago.

That's when the gas runs out, or the engine just gives up, Jason isn't sure and he doesn't care as he jumps off and kicks the motorcycle down. Honestly, _honestly_ , he wants to punch something, his finger is itching for a trigger and he's kicking himself for just driving away when he could've easily found some criminals to smash in.

It's dumb, this is dumb, Jason is dumb and he's so angry. He kicks the first thing he sees, an unsuspecting trash can and he really goes to town on it. He kicks and kicks and his foot is really starting to ache as it leaves dent after dent but he's just so angry and he was stupid enough to drive into some closed amusement park instead of going to do his actual _job_.

Then someone's clearing their throat behind him and Jason spins round, gun drawn and snarl in his face. He's left his helmet behind at the cave but he's still got his domino and he decides he's safe enough to put a bullet in the bastard that had the audacity to interrupt his battering of a trash can. But Jason recognises the face and it's not a bat or a bird it's, it's the hobo that nearly bashed his door down a couple months ago.

“Bucky?” Jason breathes, ripping his mask off. Bucky's got his hands up in surrender, that batman baseball cap still perched in his head and he looks just as hobo like as he did when Jason sent off on that bus.

“Hey” he says. “What are you doing?” Jason glances down at the ruined trash can then back up at Bucky, a blush beginning to creep up his neck.

“I, uh, I'm mad” he states. “I'm really really mad” Bucky shrugs and sticks his thumbs in his pocket.

“Want to talk about it?” Jason just shakes his head. “Fair enough, what you doing here?”

“I had to get away” Jason shrugs. “I didn't know what else to do”

There's a beat of silence between them with neither of them knowing what to say.

“Why are you here?” Jason asks before Bucky can ask him something else.

Bucky looks up at him then glances around. “I'm trying to remember” he says. “I think, I think we came on our first date here. I remember that” He points to a big white rollercoaster with a sign reading ‘The Cyclone’. “And I think I remember something pink?”

“Your first date with Steve?” Bucky nods again.

“Yeah, yeah with Steve.”

“Why, uh, are you not with him now? I thought you went to find him?” This time Bucky shrugs and looks down.

“I'm scared he doesn't want to see me” he mumbles. Jason screws his face up.

“I thought you were just going to go for it though? Isn't he all you had?”

“All I have” Bucky corrects. “All I have now, all I've ever had and I'm just scared”

“You shouldn't be” Bucky looks up now, a frown on his face.

“What would you know” he snaps.

“I'd know because I went back!” Jason snaps back. “I went back because you-” he points an accusing finger. “You made me think about it with your whole ‘he's all I have’ so I went back even though I was scared and look where I am now” Jason huffs an empty laugh and shakes his head. “I'm standing here with you” Bucky grimaces but doesn't look away, instead he steps forward to Jason.

“Maybe you're braver than me”

“My dad died” Jason blurts.

“I thought you didn't have a family?”

“I do, I didn't, didn't think I had one then but I've got one now”

“When did he die?”

“Couple days ago, I only got told tonight” Bucky's put his hand on his shoulder now and Jason doesn't really want to shrug it off.

“I'm sorry”

“Don't be, it wasn't your fault”

“Was it yours?”

“The fuck kind of question is that?”

“Just answer it”

Jason looks down at his feet, his left shoe looking a little worse for wear after his destruction of the trash can.

“No” he states. “It couldn't be”

“Alright, was it just you and him?”

“No, I've got a couple brothers”

“Maybe you should be with them”

“Yeah, yeah maybe”

“Your bike working?” Bucky points behind Jason to where the bike lies in a heap. With a huff of a laugh, Jason shakes his head.

“Nah, not anymore, it's fine though I can hotwire a car”

“Impressive, where'd a kid like you learn that?” Jason just laughs there, a proper laugh this time.

“You need a ride?” He asks. “To Steve's?”

Bucky looks torn, still scared probably. “You'll have to go back eventually, yeah?”

“It's okay” he murmurs. “I'll try and remember more first”

Jason doesn't try to convince him, it's not his place, so he turns and leaves the amusement park, a destroyed trash can and scared man in a batman cap in his wake.


	3. Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce screws up, not Jason. 
> 
> Jason runs anyway.

Jason could still feel it. The force, the anger, the  _hatred._ He'd taken punches before, he has to in this line of work but he never actually thought it'd come from  _Bruce._

Well, when Jason first came back and was playing by his own rules, doing his own thing which included breaking Batman's number one rule, Jason could expect the anger. But they'd worked past that. They'd talked it out, worked together and Jason had returned to the family. They reached a compromise, Jason used rubber bullets and didnt shoot to kill and while at first it'd been hard to readjust, it worked. They worked and things were good. 

And then Jason screwed up. But it wasn't his fault, it really wasn't. He hadn't meant to shoot the guy, it's just, the guy was aiming at Tim and Jason was close so he tried to grab the gun before the bastard could shoot. Except he was much stronger than Jason had anticipated and he tugged it back and for a moment they were just tugging it between each other until, until a shot rang out and the guy slumped over, blood leaking from his chest. 

Of course Bruce only heard the gunshot and only saw the guy on the floor and Red Hold with a gun and for the world's greatest detective he wasn't very good at seeing any other option than the one where Jason broke the golden rule. 

Still, they all carried on and it wasn't until all the crooks were tied up and all the bombs defused that Batman actually turns to look at Jason. 

"B, I can explain" he started, tearing off his helmet so Bruce could see on his face that he was sincere. 

But before he could get another word out, a gloved fist smashed into his face so hard it threw him to the ground. 

"What did I say" Bruce grit out. "I said no killing, but you just can't help yourself" He pulled his fist back to go again but Dick gor between them, holding Bruce back. 

"You can't change" Bruce hissed to Jason, still on the ground. 

Dick was using all his strength to keep Bruce back while Tim hovered behind uncertainly. Even Damian looked shocked. 

"This is just like before" 

"Before?" Jason found himself asking as he stood back up. There was blood dribbling down his cheek but that wasn't  important at the moment. "What do you mean before?"

"All the times! You killed so many people, it's hard to keep track! You've always been like this, even as Robin" 

"Even as Robin? You mean when that guy fell off the balcony? B, that was as an accident! I was fourteen for fuck sake!" 

"What does it matter to you? You'll always be a murderer"

"B, that's enough!" Dick yelled. 

Jasons stopped listening though, he had to get out of here, out of Gotham. He didn't want to be here, he couldn't anymore. 

He took off out the warehouse, ignoring the shouts from Dick and Tim, even leaving his helmet behind in his haste. 

 

He ends up on a bus, too tired to drive himself. At first he wasn't sure where to go, he thinks of Roy but he's got enough on his plate at the moment and he thinks of Kori but she could be anywhere. He thinks about how he needs more friends outside of Gotham before remembering someone he hasn't thought about in years, not since he left him in Coney Island. 

Jason isn't sure of the idea of just showing up, but he knows the address (even after selling his own place in that riculously named street) and he's got no one else who won't ask about Bruce the minute they see him. 

So he heads to Brooklyn once he's off the bus and begins looking for 166 Montague Street. 

Exclet when he gets there there's no apartment building. There's not even any houses. It's a fucking Ralphs. 

Jason doesn't know what he expected. It was a long shot anyway. 

But now he doesn't know what to do. It's who knows when at night and he's travelled like 100 miles just to stand in a Ralphs parking lot. Jason's life really is falling apart. 

Then someone clears their throats behind him and he recognises that so he spins around and, and there's Bucky. 

Hes had a haircut and a shave and he's holding a pineapple but he's swapped the Batman cap for a Captain America one. And he's smiling. 

"Jason?" He says. "What're you doing?" 

"Did you go back?" Jason asks. Bucky narrows his eyes slightly but nods. 

"Yeah, a little after we spoke last" 

"Why" Jason croaks. "Why'd you want to go back, because I did and, and I didn't change, I'm still me and I'm still fucked!" 

Bucky just looks at him, his head slightly cocked to the side, just like when they first met. 

"You've got dry blood on your face" he remarks. Jason just scoffs. 

"I didn't come all this way for you to tell me that"

"Well, what did you come for?" 

Jason opens his mouth to reply but finds that he doesn't have an answer. Bucky seems to understand though. 

"You want to spend the night? You can clean up and I'll get you some new clothes, sort of payback for when you did it for me?" 

Jason doesn't really take any time to think before agreeing, his plan didn't really stretch further than this address anyway. 

"C'mon, me and Steve stay a little further down from here. I did the same as you when I came looking, who knew they'd torn down our building for whatever the hell this is, although I've got to admit they've got great pineapples" Bucky laughs and Jason feels himself giving a little smile back. 

"You changed the hat" he points out. 

"Yeah, I've got a friend who said Batman is a bit of a tool, but I've heard good things about Captain America" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clear up the timeline because I've sort of just ignored that completely. 
> 
> >the first part takes place a while after winter soldier so Bucky goes off to find himself then wants to come back to Steve. Jason is back from the pit and that but hasn't interacted with the bat family yet
> 
> >then second part is a while after that, maybe a yearish. Jason goes back shortly after the first part then Bruce dies although this diverges from the battle for the cowl because I'm just leaving that out. 
> 
> >then like a couple years later and Bruce is back and bat family is back together. Civil war also doesn't happen in this. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and for the kudos and comments !!


End file.
